This invention relates in general to an improved and more versatile injection site for use in transmitting a parenteral fluid.
Injection sites are commonly used in hospitals to provide a parenteral fluid delivery system in which supplementary parenteral fluid can be introduced into a conduit or passageway carrying a primary parenteral fluid to a patient without disturbing the delivery of the primary fluid or the patient. A parenteral fluid as used in this application includes a wide variety of fluids or medicaments utilized in medical treatment.
Thus the injection site receives the primary parenteral fluid via a first inlet connected through a flexible conduit usually to a reservoir and a second flexible conduit extends from the outlet of the injection site to an appropriate device for administering the fluid or liquid to a patient. The injection site also typically includes a second inlet sealed by a pierceable diaphragm. If it is necessary to introduce a supplementary fluid or medicament or blood to the patient, the fluid is injected through the diaphragm covering the second inlet, generally by means of a hypodermic syringe or a needle coupled to a container (i.e., "piggy back"), for combination with the primary parenteral fluid and administration to the patient.
If it may be necessary to inject several supplementary fluids, additional sites are generally provided by cutting the line at several positions thereby complicating the delivery system and introducing undesirable turbulence. Alternatively, several positions for injecting supplementary fluid may be provided on one side or top of an asymmetrically shaped site. However, these may be inconveniently located or too crowded for simultaneous use, as when a large syringe is used. Further, the asymmetric site shape and the problem of retaining the diaphragm results in a relatively large number of different parts and in complex and expensive molds and assembly procedures.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an injection site into which a plurality of supplementary parenteral fluids may be simultaneously conveniently introduced.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an injection site that can be facilely assembled in a system for administering parenteral fluid to a patient.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an injection site which can pass both a primary and a secondary parenteral fluid in either of two directions.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an injection site which enables a secondary fluid to be introduced into a primary fluid coaxially with the primary fluid to minimize flow disturbance.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide an injection site which accepts a needle and needle withdrawal without coring and leakage.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an injection site that is simple to manufacture and is relatively inexpensive to produce.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.